Flexible shower arm assembly

ABSTRACT

A flexible shower arm assembly that allows the user to repeatably adjust the position of the shower head in three dimensions by configuring the shape of the shower arm attached between the water source, such as a shower pipe, and the water dispenser, such as a shower head. The particular position of the shower head, and the direction of the shower spray, can be modified by re-configuring the shape of the shower arm. The flexible shower arm holds the desired position until modified by the user. The flexible shower arm is sealingly attached to the shower pipe by a pipe connector nut, and is sealingly and pivotally attached to the shower head by a connection structure. The flexible shower arm assembly includes an elongated flexible member defining a fluid transfer path, the flexible member having a first end and an opposite second end. The first end of the flexible member is connected in fluid communication with the shower pipe, and the second end of the flexible member is connected in fluid communication to a shower head. A sheath covers the flexible arm from the first end to the second end.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/615,299, filed Jul. 13, 2000 and entitled “Flexible ShowerArm Assembly,” which in turn is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/241,345, filed Feb. 1, 1999 and entitled“Flexible Shower Arm Assembly,” now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,569,which in turn is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.08/781,863, filed Jan. 10, 1997 and entitled “Flexible Shower ArmAssembly,” now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,378, all of which areincorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0002] 1. Field of Invention

[0003] This invention relates to a flexible shower arm assembly, andmore particularly to a shower arm assembly having a flexible shower armto allow for flexible adjustment of the position of the shower head.

[0004] 2. Background Art

[0005] Bathing in a shower has replaced bathing in a bathtub as thepreferred method of bathing for several reasons, including convenience,comfort, and energy savings. Typically, a person stands in the showerand is sprayed with water through a shower head, which is attached to ashower pipe extending from the central plumbing. A shower head directlyattached to the shower pipe is able to be pivoted about the attachmentto the shower pipe to provide a certain degree of movement to controlthe direction of the shower spray. The movement of the shower head islimited to pivotal movement about the connection point to the showerpipe and cannot be translated in any direction.

[0006] An improvement to the adjustability of the standard shower headincludes the development of the hand-held shower head. The hand-heldshower head includes a flexible hose attached to the shower pipe and ashower head having a handle attached to the opposite end of the flexiblehose. The hand-held shower head is typically mounted on a bracketattached to the shower pipe to allow the hand-held shower head to beused as a normal shower head, and can normally be pivoted about theattachment of the bracket to the shower pipe. However, the hand-heldshower head can also be removed from the bracket and held in the desiredposition with one hand. This allows the user to move the shower head toany desired position, however it requires that the user utilize one handto hold the shower head.

[0007] Further development in shower head positioning includes showerpipe extensions, which include one or more rigid links having one endpivotally attached to the shower pipe and the other end pivotallyattached to the shower head, or to another rigid link. The links aretypically elongated rigid hoses and allow for limited movement in thevertical and lateral directions. The movement is limited by the lengthof the rigid links and the direction of movement allowed by the pivotaljoints between the links. This type of rigid link structure often leaksat the joints and can become loose and fail to hold the desiredposition.

[0008] There is missing in the art a shower head assembly which allowsthe variable positioning of the shower head in three dimensions whileleaving the user with two free hands. It is to overcome the shortcomingsin the prior art that the present invention was developed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention in general terms concerns a flexible showerarm assembly that allows the user to repeatably adjust the position ofthe shower head in three dimensions by configuring the shape of theshower arm attached between the water source, such as a shower pipe, andthe water dispenser, such as a shower head. The particular position ofthe shower head, and the direction of the water spray, can be modifiedsimply by re-configuring the shape of the shower arm. The flexibleshower arm holds the desired position until modified by the user. Theflexible shower arm is sealingly attached to the shower pipe by a pipeconnector nut, and is sealingly and pivotally attached to the showerhead by a connection structure.

[0010] More particularly, the flexible shower arm assembly includes anelongated flexible member defining fluid transfer path, the flexiblemember having a first end and an opposite second end. The flexiblemember is repeatably configurable to a fixed shape. The first end of theflexible member is connected in fluid communication with the showerpipe, and the second end of the flexible member is connected in fluidcommunication to a shower head. A sheath covers the flexible arm fromthe first end to the second end.

[0011] Still more particularly, the flexible shower arm assemblyincludes a plurality of interconnected beads forming a flexible arm,each bead rotatable with respect to adjacent beads. The plurality ofinterconnected beads form an axially extending bore, and have a firstend bead at a first end of the arm and a second end bead at a second endof the arm. A shower pipe connector nut, defining an internal boreextending therethrough, has a first end for fluid connection to theshower pipe, and a second end for fluid connection to the first endbead. A shower head, defining a connection structure having an internalbore extending therethrough, is in fluid connection to the second endbead at the second end of the arm.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first end bead has an externally threadedend and a partially spherical opposing end. The partially spherical endconnects to an adjacent bead. The first end of the connector nut isinternally threaded, and the second end of the nut is internallythreaded for threaded engagement to the shower pipe. The externallythreaded end of the first end bead is threadedly received by theinternally threaded first end of the nut.

[0013] In another embodiment, the connection structure between theshower head and the second end of the flexible arm includes a retainerfor rotatably receiving said second end bead, a collar for receiving thesecond end bead and the retainer, and a connector for positioning thesecond end bead and the retainer in the collar.

[0014] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to providea flexible shower arm that can be repeatably adjusted to a variety ofpositions to allow control of the direction of spray from a shower head.

[0015] Other aspects, features and details of the present invention canbe more completely understood by reference to the following detaileddescription of a preferred embodiment, in conjunction with the drawings,and from the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shower stall having a flexibleshower arm assembly incorporating the present invention.

[0017]FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the flexible shower armassembly incorporating the present invention.

[0018]FIG. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

[0019]FIG. 4 is an enlarged representative section of interlinked beads,including the second end bead.

[0020]FIG. 5 is a representative section of the flexible shower arm ofthe present invention.

[0021]FIG. 6 is a section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

[0022]FIG. 7 is a section taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 3.

[0023]FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial section similar to FIG. 7.

[0024]FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial section of the wedge collar similarto FIG. 8.

[0025]FIG. 10 is a partial exploded view of the first end of theflexible shower arm.

[0026]FIG. 11 is a partial exploded view of the second end of theflexible shower arm.

[0027]FIG. 12 is a representative section of the pipe nut utilized inthe present invention.

[0028]FIG. 13 is a section taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 6.

DETAILED SPECIFICATION

[0029] A shower head assembly 30 encompassing the present invention isshown in FIGS. 1-3. The shower head assembly 30 is attached to astandard shower pipe 32 extending from the wall of a shower stall, asshown in FIG. 1. The shower head assembly 30 includes an elongatedflexible shower arm 34 having first 36 and second 38 opposing ends, anddefining a water conduit along its entire length. The first end 36 ofthe flexible shower arm 34 is attached to a shower pipe connector nut40. The shower pipe connector nut 40 is in turn attached to the standardshower pipe 32 extending from the wall of the shower stall. The secondend 38 of the flexible shower arm 34 is adapted to receive a shower head42. A special connection structure 44 (see FIG. 3) is used between thesecond end 38 of the flexible shower arm 34 and the shower head 42.

[0030] In use, water flows from the shower pipe 32 through the showerpipe connector nut 40, and into the flexible shower arm 34. The waterflows through the conduit (a continuous internal cavity) formed alongthe entire length of the flexible shower arm (described in more detailbelow) to reach the shower head 42, and then through the shower head.The flexible shower arm 34 can be configured by the user to take in anyof a number of positions, which allows the user to position the showerhead 42 and the direction of the shower spray as desired, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2.

[0031] Still generally, as shown in FIG. 3, the flexible shower arm 34is made of a plurality of interlinked ball and socket beads 46interconnected together, with each of the beads being pivotable withrespect to each of the adjacent beads due to the ball and socketstructure. Each bead defines an internal cavity 48 extendingtherethrough, and when interconnected the internal cavity 48 iscontinuous and extends along the entire length of the flexible showerarm 34. A flexible hose 50 is positioned through the continuous internalcavity 48 for carrying fluid through the flexible arm 34 from the showerpipe nut 40 to the shower head 42. A sheath 52 encompasses the length ofthe flexible shower arm 34 and extends from the shower pipe connectornut 40 to the base of the shower head 42. The sheath 52 protects thebeads 46 from moisture, dirt and other contaminants which may affect theperformance of the flexible shower arm 34.

[0032] In more detail, referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the flexibleshower arm 34 is made up a plurality of ball and socket beads 46 whichare interconnected for rotational and pivotal movement between adjacentbeads. The beads are preferably made of a thermoplastic material, suchas Teflon impregnated acetal. Each bead 46 has a smaller end 54 and alarger end 56, with a tapered neck 58 area defined between the two ends.The cavity 48 formed through the bead 46 defines an opening 60 at thesmaller end 54 of the bead 46 and an opening at the larger end 56 of thebead. The external surface at the smaller end 54 of the bead 46 issubstantially spherical in shape. The internal walls 62 of the cavity 48formed at the larger end 56 of the bead 46 have a substantiallyspherical shape for rotatably and pivotally receiving the smaller end 54of the adjacent bead 46. The beads 46 are interconnected with oneanother by inserting the smaller end 54 of a first bead into the cavity48 in the larger end 56 of the adjacent bead 46 and so on, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5. The engagement of the external walls of the smaller end54 of one bead with the internal walls 62 of the larger end 56 of anadjacent bead 46 allows the plurality of beads to pivot and rotate withrespect to adjacent beads to form a variety of shapes.

[0033] The shape of the cavity 48 formed in the large end 56 of the bead46 is appropriately sized to tightly receive the smaller end 54 of anadjacent bead such that the beads can rotate and pivot with respect toone another under the force of the user, however, the fit issufficiently tight to create adequate friction to maintain the relativepositions of the beads once the flexible shower arm 34 is shaped by theuser. A suitable bead 46 for use in constructing the flexible shower arm34 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,206, issued to Lockwood Products,Inc. It is contemplated, however, that any structure which allows forrepeated flexible movement to a fixed final position, and that canaccommodate the desired fluid transfer characteristics could be utilizedfor this purpose.

[0034] A special first end bead 64 is utilized at the first end 36 ofthe plurality of beads 46 making up the flexible shower arm 34 to attachthe flexible shower arm 34 to the shower pipe connector nut 40, as shownin FIGS. 3, 6, and 10. The first end connection bead 64 defines a mainbody 66 with one end 68 structured so as to attach to the adjacent bead46 in the flexible shower arm 34. Preferably, the structure of the end68 is a partially spherical concave outer surface 70 similar to thesmaller end 54 of the typical bead 46 previously described above. Acavity 72 is formed through the first end connector bead 64, and will bedescribed further below. The other end 74 of the first end connectorbead 64 has a substantially cylindrical outer surface portion 76defining a rim 78, an annular sloped sealing surface 80 adjacent to therim 78, an annular flange 82 or rim extending outwardly from the mainbody, and external threads 84 positioned between the sealing surface 80and the flange 82.

[0035] Protrusions 86 or prongs (see FIGS. 6, 10, and 13) extendradially from the annular rim 78 and form part of a locking mechanism 88described in more detail below. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 13, prongs 86extend outwardly from the annular rim 78 on the first end bead 64 andhave a longer first side 90 with a shallow slope, and a shorter secondside 92 with a steeper slope. The protrusions 86 are oriented on the rim78 such that when the first end bead 64 is engaged with the shower pipenut 40, the protrusions engage corresponding ramps 94 formed on theinner surface of the shower pipe nut 40 when the first end bead 64 iscompletely seated in the shower pipe nut 40 to form a “ratchet” type oflocking mechanism 88 which keeps the first end bead 64 from beingextracted from the shower pipe nut 40, such as by attempting to unscrewthe first end bead 64 from the pipe nut 40.

[0036] The cavity 72 formed through the length of the first end bead 64has a particular shape to facilitate the transfer of fluid therethrough.At the ball end 68 of the first end bead 64, the recess 72 has arelatively large diameter and necks down through a sloped section 96 toa substantially cylindrical throat 98 through the center portion of thefirst end connector bead 64. The cavity 72 then abruptly widens to alarger diameter, substantially cylindrical, cavity portion 100 formedthrough to the other end 74 of the connector bead 64. An engagementsurface 102 is formed at the transition from the diameter of the throat98 to the larger diameter recess 100, and is preferably a surface formedat 90° to the length of the first end connector bead 64. The externalsurface of the first end connector bead 64, adjacent the throat 98extending along the middle of its length, defines the minimum exteriordimension of the first end connector bead 64.

[0037] A pair of thin, relatively flexible fins 104 extend from oppositesides of the throat 98 portion of the first end connector bead 64. Thefins 104 help form a seal with the sheath 52 when the sheath 52 isinserted over the first end connector bead 64 and into the shower pipenut 40, as described below and shown in FIG. 6. As the end 106 of thesheath 52 is inserted over the first end connector bead 64 and into theshower pipe nut 40, the sheath 52 engages the free ends 108 of the sealfins 104 and bend the seal fins 104 towards the shower pipe nut 40. Thespace between the tips 108 of the fins 104 and the shower pipe nut 40 issmaller than the thickness of the sheath 52 such that the sheath 52engages the fins 104 as the sheath is inserted into the shower pipe nut40. The resiliency of the fins 104 creates a bias force against thesheath 52 to push the sheath 52 against the shower pipe nut 40 and thuscreate a fastened joint to help block the entry of dirt, particles orother contaminants. In addition, the bent fins also act as a cam surfaceto create an interference fit to resist the withdrawal of the sheath 52from the shower pipe nut 40.

[0038] The hose 50, preferably made of nylon-reinforced PVC, is insertedthrough the cavity 48 formed along the length of the flexible arm 34,and is attached to the first end connector bead 64 by a serrated grommet110, as best shown in FIG. 6. The serrated grommet 110 has asubstantially cylindrical main body defining an axial bore 112 formedtherethrough, and a radially extending annular flange 114 formed at oneend thereof. The outer surface of the main body defines serrations 116,preferably helical, to allow easy insertion of the grommet 110 into theinner diameter of the hose 50, and to resist the extraction of thegrommet 110 from the hose 50. The serrations 116 have relatively sharptips to engage the inner diameter of the hose 50 to grip the hose 50 andresist the extraction of the grommet 110 therefrom.

[0039] The hose 50 is first inserted thorough the throat 98 of the firstend connector bead 64. The end of the hose 50 is substantially alignedwith the end of the throat 98 at the transition between the throat 98and the larger diameter cavity portion 100. The grommet 110 is theninserted into the bore of the hose 50 such that the under-surface of theannular flange 114 formed on the grommet 110 engages the end of the hose50 and the engagement surface 102 adjacent the throat 98. The main bodyof the grommet 110 is sized such that when inserted into the hose 50,the wall of the hose 50 is compressed against the wall of the throat 98to form a water tight seal, such that water flows only through the hose50 and not around the hose. The engagement of the annular flange 114 ofthe grommet 110 against the engagement surface 102 of the first endconnector bead 64 also forms a seal to help prevent water from flowingthrough the bead 64 around the hose 50.

[0040] The first end bead 64 of the flexible shower arm 34 is connectedto the shower pipe 32 by a shower pipe connector nut 40, as best shownin FIGS. 3, 6 and 10. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the nut 40 has anelongated main body 118 and defines a multi-chambered continuous cavity120 formed therethrough. The first portion 122 of the cavity 120 hassmooth walls. The second portion 124 of the cavity 120 defines internalthreads 126 and is of a slightly smaller diameter for receiving theexternal threads 128 in the shower pipe 32 to allow threaded connectionsof the nut 40 to the shower pipe 32. The third chamber 130 is partiallythreaded. An annular seat 132 is formed between the second 124 and third130 portions of the chamber 120.

[0041] An inwardly extending angled annular flange 134 is formed at oneend of the third portion 130 of the cavity 120 and reduces the diameterof the cavity 120 significantly to control water flow in conjunctionwith the water flow restrictor 150. An annular recess 136 is formedabout the base of the angled annular flange 134 for receiving the rim ofthe first end bead 64 upon insertion, as described further below. Anannular seal seat 138 is next formed in the cavity 120 beyond which aninternally threaded region 140 is defined and terminates in the finalchamber 142 having a larger diameter and defining an annular seatingsurface 144 oriented at 90° to the length of the pipe nut 40. Aplurality of ramps 94 are spaced circumferentially on the interior wallof the final chamber 142, adjacent to the seating surface 144. Theseramps 94 work in conjunction with the protrusions 86 formed on theannular flange 82 of the first end bead 64 to form the thread-lockingmechanism 88.

[0042] The end 74 of the first end bead 64 is threadedly received in thepipe nut 40 until the sealing surface 80 on the first end bead 64engages an O-ring seal 146 and compresses it against the annular sealseat 138 formed in the pipe nut 40. The radially extending externalflange 82 of the first end bead 64 simultaneously engages the flattenedengagement surface 144 formed in the pipe nut 40 to solidly position thefirst end bead 64 to the pipe nut 40. The plurality of ramps 94 formedon the interior surface of the pipe nut 40 adjacent to the flattenedengagement surface 144 engage the protrusions 86 formed on the radialextending external flange 82 of the first end nut 64 and allow the firstend nut 64 to be threaded into the pipe nut 40 with a right-handedthread motion. The shape of the protrusions 86 on the external flange 82on the first end bead 64 resist the counter-clockwise relative rotationof the first end bead 64 with respect to the pipe nut 40 to keep thefirst end bead 64 from accidentally being unscrewed from the pipe nut40. The interlocking protrusions 86 and ramps 94, as shown in FIGS. 12and 13, form a locking mechanism 88 which basically allow the first endbead 64 to be threadedly received by the pipe nut 40 and resist thethreaded extraction from the pipe nut 40 of the first end bead 64.

[0043] The O-ring 146 forms a seal between the first end bead 64 and thepipe nut 40 to keep water from flowing around the first end bead 64 andto only flow through the hose 50 extending through the flexible arm 34.An end 106 of the sheath 52 is positioned outside of the first end bead64, engaging the seal fins 104, and inside of the end of the pipe nut 40to assist in fixing the end 106 of the sheath 52 to the pipe nut 40 andform a seal to keep water and dirt as well as other contaminants fromreaching the interconnected beads 46.

[0044] A water filter member 148 and a flow restrictor 150 as shown inFIG. 6, are positioned in the pipe nut 40. The filter 148 has a firstportion 152 having external threading and a second portion 154 havingfiltering structure, such as screen or small perforations. Water flowsthrough the filtering structure and into a cavity 156 formed in thefilter 148, and out the end of the first portion 152. An annular seatingflange 158 is formed between the two portions 152, 154 and extendsoutwardly therefrom. The first portion 152 of the filter 148 isthreadedly received by the threads in the third chamber 130 until theflange 158 engages the annular seat 132 when the filter 148 is in theproper position, also being engaged by the end of the shower pipe 32,with an flat washer 159 positioned therebetween to form a seal. The flowrestrictor 150 is held in the third portion 130 of the cavity 120 by thefilter 148, and receives the water after it has passed through thefilter 148.

[0045] A specially designed second end bead 160 is positioned at theshower head end of the flexible arm 34 to facilitate the connection ofthe shower head 42 to the flexible arm 34, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and11. One end of the second end bead 160 has a shape structured to attachto the adjacent bead 46 in the flexible shower arm 34. Preferably, thisshape is identical to the larger end 56 of the typical bead 46 used informing the interlocking bead structure of the flexible arm 34, and isthe receiving, or female, end 162 of the second end bead 160. Theopposite 164, or male end, of the second end bead 160 has asubstantially spherical outer surface 166. The cavity 168 formed throughthe entire second end bead 160 has a central throat portion 170converting to a partially spherical portion 172 in the receiving end 162of the second end bead 160 (for receiving the smaller end 54 of thetypical bead 46 as defined above) and a portion adjacent 160 the maleend 164 of the second end bead 160 having a diameter larger than thethroat 170, to form an engagement surface 174 for the grommet which isused in attaching the hose 50 to the second end bead 160. A grommet 176such as that described above with respect to the first end bead 64 isutilized to fix the end of the hose 50 to the second end bead 160 in anidentical manner to that described with the first end bead 64. A seal isthus formed between the hose 50 and side walls of the throat 170 by theinsertion of the grommet 176 into the hose 50 when the hose 50 ispositioned in the throat 170. The outwardly extending flange 178 of thegrommet 176 engages the engagement surface 174 formed by the transitionof the throat 170 to the larger diameter portion of the cavity 168.

[0046] A finger collar, or retainer, 180 is used in conjunction with theinternal shower head body 182 to attach the small end 164 of the secondend bead 160 to the base cone 184 of the shower head 42. The fingercollar 180 has a substantially cylindrical main body 186 with fingers188 extending longitudinally from around the main body 186, and anannular seal rim 190 formed on the interior wall of the main body 186 ofthe finger collar 180. The seal rim 190 is positioned adjacent to butbelow the base of the finger extensions 188 from the main body 186 ofthe finger collar 180. An interference seal 192 is formed around theouter surface of the main body 186 of the finger collar 180 and is arounded protrusion extending circumferentially around the main body 186.

[0047] The base cone 184 of the shower head 42 has a collar 194 defininga passageway 196 formed therethrough with one end 198 internal to theshower head 42 having internal threading 200 and the other end 202external to the shower head 42 having an opening 203 reduced in size byan inwardly sloped, partially conical rim 204 defining an interiorfinger engagement surface 206 which is further described below.

[0048] The internal shower head body 182 defines an externally threadedconnector end 208 and an axial recess 210 formed adjacent the threadedend of the connector 208. The axial recess 210 has a base wall 212 andsmooth side walls 214.

[0049] In connecting the second end bead 160 to the base cone 184 of theshower head 42, the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 is insertedthrough the reduced-size external opening 203 in the base cone 184. Thefinger collar 180 is then positioned over the male end 164 of the secondend bead 160 such that the fingers 188 extend along substantially theentire length of the male end 164 of the second end bead 160, and theseal rim 190 on the internal wall of the finger collar 180 continuouslyengages the outer surface 166 of the male end 164 of the second end bead160. The externally threaded connector 208 of the internal shower headbody 182 is then threadedly received in the internally threaded end 200of the collar 194 of the base cone 184. The external annular protrusion192 on the main body 186 of the finger collar 180 engages the smoothsidewall 214 of the axial cavity 210 formed in the end of the connector208 on the internal shower head body 182 to form a watertight sealbetween the finger collar 180 and the internal shower head body 182. Theend of the finger collar 180 engages the base wall 212 of the cavity 210in the shower head body 182, and as the connector 208 is threaded intothe base cone 184, the base wall 212 of the cavity 210 pushes the fingercollar 180 towards the reduced-size aperture 203 in the collar 194. Thefinger engagement surface 206 of the necked-down portion 204 of theexternal aperture 203 forces the finger extensions 188 on the fingercollar 180 to wrap around the partially spherical outer surface 166 ofthe male end 164 of the second end bead 160 to rotatably grip the maleend 164 of the second end bead 160 and keep the second end bead 160 frombeing extracted from the base cone 184. In addition, the seal rim 190forms a watertight seal between the finger collar 180 and the second endbead 160. The thickness of the finger extensions 188 is sufficient toretain the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 in the base cone 184.

[0050] The internal annular seal rim 190 is also forced against theexternal surface 166 of the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 toform a watertight seal between the second end bead 160 and the fingercollar 180.

[0051] The necked-down engagement surfaces 206 are partially conicallyshaped to functionally wrap the finger extensions 188 of the fingercollar 180 around the partially spherical surface 166 of the male end164 of the second end bead 160, which creates a frictional grippingforce on the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 as well as aninterference fit to keep the male end 164 of the second end bead 160from being extracted from the base cone 184. The base cone 184 can thusrotate about the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 whilemaintaining the seal between the second end bead 160 and the fingercollar 180 because the seal rim 190 maintains contact with the externalsurface 166 of the male end 164 of the second end bead 160 as the showerhead 42 is rotated about the male end 164. Functionally, the rotation ofthe shower head 42 is more than likely to reside in the rotation of thesecond end bead 160 with the next adjacent bead 46, however somepivoting is allowed between the shower head 42 and the second end bead160. A continuous fluid flow path is thus formed through the second endbead 160, through the finger collar 180, and into the internal showerhead body 182 for dispensing through the shower head 42, with adequateseals to keep the water from leaking out from around each of theinterconnected parts.

[0052] The shower head base cone 184 defines an annular recess 216extending circumferentially around, but spaced away from the collar 194.The annular recess 216 receives the end 218 of the sheath 52 to give thefinal product a finished look and to seal the end 218 of the sheath 52to the base cone 184 to prevent passage of water, dirt and othercontaminants to the interconnected beads. A wedge collar 220 is used toassist in retaining the sheath end 218 in the recess 216, and to improvethe seal characteristics, as shown in FIG. 8. The wedge collar 220 issubstantially cylindrical in shape, has thin sidewalls, and defines awedge ring 222 on the exterior surface at a first end thereof. A sharpannular rim 224, FIG. 9, is formed on the interior surface of the wedgecollar 220 adjacent the second end.

[0053] In using the wedge collar 220 as an anchor, the wedge collar 220is first placed over the end 218 of the sheath 52 such that the secondend of the wedge collar 220 is substantially aligned with the end 218 ofthe sheath 52. It is important that the sharp rim 224 engages the sheath52. The wedge collar 220 and sheath 52 are then pushed into the annularrecess 216, which is dimensioned to tightly receive the wedge collar 220and sheath 52, thus pressing the sharp rim 224 into the sheath 52securely fixing them together. The wedge collar 220 and sheath 52 areinserted into the recess 216 until the wedge ring 222 engages the end ofthe base cone 184, and resiliently biases the portion of the base cone184 outwardly to develop an even tighter engagement of the sheath 52 andwedge collar 220 to the base cone 184, forming an adequate seal.

[0054] Alternatively, a U-shaped spring clip can be attached over theend 218 of the sheath 52 to assist in retaining the end in the recess216. The clip has barbs extending inwardly and outwardly. The inwardlyextending clips grip the sheath, while the outwardly extending clipsengage the walls of the recess 216. The barbs are directional to inhibitthe extraction of the end 218 from the recess 216. Typically, two orthree clips are positioned on the end of the sheath to provide anadequate retaining force.

[0055] The sheath 52 surrounding the entire length of the flexible arm34, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, is substantially cylindrical in shapeand defines an internal cavity 226 along the entire length of the sheath52. Helical ribs 228 are formed on the outer surface of the sheath 52 toprovide structural support to the sheath 52 and also to assist thesheath 52 in bending smoothly in conjunction with the movement of theflexible arm 34. The end 106 of the sheath 52 adjacent to the first endbead 64 is inserted into the shower pipe nut 40 to form a fastenedjoint. The end 218 of the sheath 52 adjacent to the shower head 42 isinserted into the shower head base 184 also to form a fastened joint.With the sheath 52 being attached at either end, it is difficult forwater, moisture, dirt or other contaminants to reach the interlocking.beads 46. It has been found that water, moisture, dirt or othercontaminants cause the interlocking beads to degrade in performance bycausing the interlocking beads to become noisy or move less smoothlywith respect to one another. The outer sheath 52 is also easier to cleanthan the individual beads 46, and is thus more convenient. The sheath 52is preferably made of chemically resistant thermoplastic material, suchas polyethylene. The ribs 228 formed on the outer surface of the sheath52 to create a corrugated outer surface. The bead is in a helix pattern,and provides structural strength to the sheath. The webbing between thebeads compresses (folds), or extends, depending on the way the flexiblearm is bent.

[0056] In operation, the shower pipe connector nut 40 is threadedlyreceived in the shower pipe 32 to form a seal and cause the water toflow through the flexible shower arm 34 to the shower head 42. The waterflows through the shower pipe connector nut 40, through the first endbead 64 attached to the shower pipe connector nut 40 and into the hose50 which is positioned through the center of the interlocking beads 46.The water exits the hose and passes through the second end bead 160adjacent to the shower head 42, and finally through the shower head 42to be dispensed to the user.

[0057] The first end bead 64 attached to the shower pipe connector nut40 provides for a watertight seal between the first end bead 64 and theconnector nut 40, and a watertight seal between the hose 50 and thefirst end bead 64 so that the water exiting the shower pipe 32 flowsonly through the hose 50 to the shower head 42, and thus eliminatesleaking. The second end bead 160 is connected to the shower head 42 toallow the shower head 42 to pivot on the second end bead 160 as well asmaintain the watertight seal between the second end bead 160 and theshower head 42.

[0058] To position the shower head 42 in the desired location, the usersimply grasps the shower head 42 and moves it to bend the flexible armto the desired configuration to position the shower head 42 in one ofmany positions, including laterally, vertically, forward or backward, orvirtually any combination thereof. Once positioned, the flexible showerarm 34 maintains its shape until modified by the user. The length of theflexible shower arm 34 is limited only by the weight of the shower head42, the structural strength of the connection to the shower pipe 32, andthe tightness with which the beads 46 fit together to form the flexibleshower arm.

[0059] Presently preferred embodiments of the present invention havebeen described with a degree of particularity. This description has beenmade by way of preferred example. It should be understood, however, thatthe scope of the present invention is defined by the following claims,not necessarily by the detailed description of the preferred embodiment.

We claim:
 1. A flexible shower arm assembly comprising: a plurality ofinterconnected beads forming a flexible arm, each bead rotatable withrespect to adjacent beads, the plurality of interconnected beads formingan axially extending bore having a longitudinal axis, and having a firstend bead at a first end of the arm and a second end bead at a second endof the arm; the first end bead having a connector end and a partiallyspherical opposing end, the partially spherical opposing end forconnection to an adjacent bead; a shower pipe connector nut defining aninternal bore extending therethrough, and having a first end for fluidconnection to a shower pipe, and a second end for connection to theconnector end of the first end bead; at least one internal stop locatedwithin the axially extending bore; at least one internal stop abutmentelements located within the axially extending bore, at least one stopabutment element contacting at least one stop when the plurality ofinterconnected beads is twisted in such a manner as to alter thelongitudinal axis; and a flexible sheath covering the plurality ofinterconnected beads, an end of the sheath located between an interiorsurface of the second end of the shower pipe connector nut and anexternal surface of the first end bead.
 2. The shower arm assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the first end bead is threadedly connected to thesecond end of the shower pipe connector nut.
 3. The shower arm assemblyof claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of interconnected beads isconnected to an adjacent bead via a snap-fit arrangement.
 4. The showerarm assembly of claim 1, wherein the first end of the shower pipeconnector nut is internally threaded for connection to a shower pipe. 5.The shower arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the second end of the secondconnector is internally threaded for connection to a shower pipe.
 6. Theshower arm assembly of claim 1, wherein: the plurality of internal stopsdefine a stop longitudinal axis; and the stop longitudinal axis varieswith the longitudinal axis of the flexible arm.
 7. The shower armassembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of internal stopscomprises a formation of an interior wall of one of the plurality ofinterconnected beads.
 8. The shower arm assembly of claim 7, whereineach of the plurality of internal stop abutment elements comprises aninterior wall of one of the plurality of interconnected beads.
 9. Theshower arm assembly of claim 1, further comprising a flexible tubedisposed within the axially extending bore.
 10. The shower arm assemblyof claim 9, wherein the flexible tube is further disposed within theplurality of internal stops.
 11. The shower arm assembly of claim 10,further comprising a grommet attaching the flexible tube to the showerpipe connector nut.
 12. The shower arm assembly of claim 1 l,wherein thegrommet compresses the flexible tube against an interior of the showerpipe connector nut.
 13. The shower arm assembly of claim 1, wherein thesheath comprises an external ribbed pattern.
 14. The shower arm assemblyof claim 13, wherein the external ribbed pattern comprises a continuoushelix.
 15. The shower arm assembly of claim 13, wherein the sheath isformed of plastic.
 16. The shower arm assembly of claim 13, wherein: theexternal ribbed pattern comprises a plurality of ribs; and a portion ofthe sheath bounded by a first rib of the plurality of ribs and a secondrib of the plurality of ribs compresses as the sheath is bent.
 17. Theshower arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the sheath comprises a shapenonconforming to the shape of the plurality of interconnected beads. 18.The shower arm assembly of claim 16, wherein the sheath is free to movein the direction of the longitudinal axis.
 19. A flexible shower armassembly comprising: a plurality of snap-fitted beads forming a flexiblearm, each bead pivotable with respect to adjacent beds, the plurality ofsnap-fitted beads forming an axially extending bore having alongitudinal axis and varying in longitudinal cross-section as theflexible arm is bent, the plurality of snap-fitted beads having a firstend bead at a first end of the arm and a second end bead at a second endof the arm; the first end bead having a connector end and a partiallyspherical opposing end, the partially spherical opposing end forconnection to an adjacent bead; a shower pipe connector nut defining aninternal bore extending therethrough, and having a first end for fluidconnection to a shower pipe, and a second end for connection to thefirst end bead; a flexible tube disposed within the axially extendingbore; a grommet compressing the flexible tube against an interior of theshower pipe connector nut; at least one internal stop located within theaxially extending bore and defining a stop longitudinal axis, the stoplongitudinal axis varying with the longitudinal axis; at least oneinternal stop abutment elements located within the axially extendingbore, at least one stop abutment element contacting at least one stopwhen the plurality of snap-fitted beads is twisted in such a manner asto alter the longitudinal axis; and a flexible sheath covering theplurality of snap-fitted beads and having a lateral cross-section, thelateral cross-section of the flexible sheath differing at least in areafrom the lateral cross-section of the plurality of snap-fitted beads;and wherein the flexible is sheath free to move in the direction of thelongitudinal axis.
 20. The flexible shower arm assembly of claim 19,wherein: each of the plurality of snap-fitted beads comprises aTeflon-impregnated thermoplastic; and a first snap-fitted bead of theplurality of beads is frictionally connected to a second snap-fittedbead of the plurality of beads such that the first snap-fitted bead maybe held in a pivoted position relative to the second snap-fitted bead.